Skimming Stones

A book of simple skills that can help us to interact with nature, achieve a deeper connection with it, and even step inside another dimension There are forces deep in everyone's subconscious that find a pure expression in the simplest of activities. This book explains why we should be taking the time to do them. It is born out of a wish to share our passion for our landscape and the contemplative, reflective pleasures and joys that were well-known to our grandparents, but which are in danger of being lost and forgotten. They will help us get back to a place where we all belong. Through teaching such basic outdoor skills as making and flying a kite, tracking an animal, damming a stream, and lighting a fire, this book also teaches the reader valuable lessons about life. These exercises are intended to be not only of practical value but also techniques for meditation. They help the practitioner to live in the moment and recover ancient insights and rhythms, while encouraging nature to reveal her secrets and treasures.

Rob Cowen is a musician and a writer whose work has appeared in the Express, the Independent, and News of the World. Leo Critchley is a writer.